A system and method of raising and lowering a ball hitch for coupling to a gooseneck trailer coupler are provided. A combination of hydraulic pump and hydraulic piston are employed to raise and lower the ball hitch. Both custom and off the shelf parts combine to create a user friendly system to couple and uncouple a gooseneck trailer to the truck. The system described herein replaces the need to raise and lower a gooseneck trailer by hand crank and gear box. A non-rotating free end hydraulic piston device extends and retracts to raise and lower the ball hitch in both coupling and uncoupling of the trailer.

A system and method of raising and lowering a ball hitch for coupling to a gooseneck trailer coupler are provided. A combination of hydraulic pump and hydraulic piston are employed to raise and lower the ball hitch. Both custom and off the shelf parts combine to create a user friendly system to couple and uncouple a gooseneck trailer to the truck. The system described herein replaces the need to raise and lower a gooseneck trailer by hand crank and gear box. A non-rotating free end hydraulic piston device extends and retracts to raise and lower the ball hitch in both coupling and uncoupling of the trailer.

A system for assisting in aligning a vehicle for hitching with a trailer includes a first camera and a second camera and outputting image data to the rear of the vehicle and a controller identifying at least one of the trailer or a coupling feature of the trailer within the image data and assigning a trailer type to the trailer identified within the image data, the trailer type including a first trailer type and a second trailer type. The controller further causes a portion of the image data to be presented on a display within the vehicle, the portion of the image data corresponding with the first camera in response to the trailer being assigned the first trailer type and corresponding with the second camera in response to the trailer being assigned the second trailer type.

A system for assisting in aligning a vehicle for hitching with a trailer includes a first camera and a second camera and outputting image data to the rear of the vehicle and a controller identifying at least one of the trailer or a coupling feature of the trailer within the image data and assigning a trailer type to the trailer identified within the image data, the trailer type including a first trailer type and a second trailer type. The controller further causes a portion of the image data to be presented on a display within the vehicle, the portion of the image data corresponding with the first camera in response to the trailer being assigned the first trailer type and corresponding with the second camera in response to the trailer being assigned the second trailer type.

An apparatus and system for: combining independent driving vehicles into a single assembly for condensed, efficient, variable capacity transportation on common routes; and for separating into independent vehicles for flexibility on diverse routes. Connection logistics are exchanged locally via line of sight optical channel. Retractable coupling and mated coupling on opposing ends of the vehicles provide multiple degrees of freedom (DOF) to accommodate misalignment during initial dynamic engagement, and lock as rigidly coupled assembly with zero DOF. Mating vehicles' doors open during transit, permitting inter-vehicle movement and consolidation of passengers en route to urban locales, and release of empty vehicles. On return, independent vehicles combine to dense passenger vehicles from urban locales for redistribution of passengers in individual vehicles that later separate for diverse destinations. Slaved vehicle systems allow one vehicle to control coupled vehicles' systems of retractable suspension, coordinated steering, power sharing. Utility vehicles couple to assembly for service.

An apparatus and system for: combining independent driving vehicles into a single assembly for condensed, efficient, variable capacity transportation on common routes; and for separating into independent vehicles for flexibility on diverse routes. Connection logistics are exchanged locally via line of sight optical channel. Retractable coupling and mated coupling on opposing ends of the vehicles provide multiple degrees of freedom (DOF) to accommodate misalignment during initial dynamic engagement, and lock as rigidly coupled assembly with zero DOF. Mating vehicles' doors open during transit, permitting inter-vehicle movement and consolidation of passengers en route to urban locales, and release of empty vehicles. On return, independent vehicles combine to dense passenger vehicles from urban locales for redistribution of passengers in individual vehicles that later separate for diverse destinations. Slaved vehicle systems allow one vehicle to control coupled vehicles' systems of retractable suspension, coordinated steering, power sharing. Utility vehicles couple to assembly for service.

Technologies and techniques for the restrained movement of a vehicle with a drive unit for accelerating the vehicle, and a braking unit for braking the vehicle. A restraining drive torque is generated by the drive unit, and a braking torque is generated by the braking unit to compensate for the restraining drive torque and thereby to generate a restraining torque in the vehicle, and braking the vehicle by reducing the drive torque. A device and a computer program product may be configured to implement the restraining movement processes and a storage may be configured with a processor to execute the computer program product.

A method for moving a vehicle to a component of an object at a distance therefrom, the vehicle having a navigation module which has a camera and an evaluation electronics, and an identification element is attached to the object in a predetermined position in such a way that it is recognized by the camera in a far range (D.sub.max) of the vehicle from the object, and a reverse driving line of the vehicle is calculated by the evaluation electronics from the perspective position of the camera in relation to the identification element. The method improves the approach of a vehicle to a stationary object. A close-range (D.sub.min) is defined in the direction of the object by a close-range radius (R.sub.min) and the reverse driving line is calculated up to a virtual pre-positioning point (S.sub.Vi, S.sub.Vii, S.sub.Viii) lying on the close-range radius (R.sub.min).

A method for moving a vehicle to a component of an object at a distance therefrom, the vehicle having a navigation module which has a camera and an evaluation electronics, and an identification element is attached to the object in a predetermined position in such a way that it is recognized by the camera in a far range (D.sub.max) of the vehicle from the object, and a reverse driving line of the vehicle is calculated by the evaluation electronics from the perspective position of the camera in relation to the identification element. The method improves the approach of a vehicle to a stationary object. A close-range (D.sub.min) is defined in the direction of the object by a close-range radius (R.sub.min) and the reverse driving line is calculated up to a virtual pre-positioning point (S.sub.Vi, S.sub.Vii, S.sub.Viii) lying on the close-range radius (R.sub.min).

A method for moving a vehicle to a component of an object at a distance therefrom, the vehicle having a navigation module which has a camera and an evaluation electronics, and an identification element is attached to the object in a predetermined position in such a way that it is recognized by the camera in a far range (D.sub.max) of the vehicle from the object, and a reverse driving line of the vehicle is calculated by the evaluation electronics from the perspective position of the camera in relation to the identification element. The method improves the approach of a vehicle to a stationary object. In a start position (S) of the vehicle, the navigation module generates a static object coordinate system (K.sub.O) and a reverse driving line is calculated from the start position (S) to a pre-positioning point (S.sub.Vi, S.sub.Vii, S.sub.Viii).